Explosive and process of producing the same.



i 1 UNITED STATES PATENT onn cn.

I ARTHUR H. COMEY, OF CHESTER, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

E. I. no PONT DE NEMOURSAN D COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

3 I Drawing.

AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING THE SAME.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. COMEY, of Chester, in the county of Delaware, and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Explosives and Processes of Producing the 3 Same, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to. the production of an explosive containing a ni-- trated sugar. Nit-rated sugars have been used before as explosives but it has been found in practice that they are unstable.

The object of my invention is to produce an explosive containing a nitrated sugar which is perfectly stable and may be used forcommercial purposes without danger of accidental explosions because of any instability of the produc't.

I have discovered that explosives containing nitrated sugars may be rendered stable by making-use of a nitrated sugar in the presence of nitroglycerin, and subjecting this mixture to the treatment of a soda solu I dissolve a quantity of sugar, such for ex- I ample, as cane sugar, in a quantity of glycerin, the proportions being from 80% to 20% of sugar to 20 to 80% of glycerin. The glycerin andsugar are then sub ected to the action of mixed nitric and sulfuric acids so as to nitrate both the sugar and the. glycerin. When the nitration has been com-- -pleted, the waste acids are removed. The nitrated sugar and thetrimtroglycerm are then treated with a solution of sodium carbonate, bicarbonate, or hydroxid in water.

This treatment renders the explosive containing nitrated sugar very stable. In carrying outlth'e process, the sugar may be d1ssolved in the glycerin before the glycerin 1s introduced into the nitrator or just before the addition of the mixed acid, and the sugar and glycerin may be simultaneously or alternately introduced into the .nitrator or the mixed acid. In carrying out the proce's,

the procedure may, desired, be as fol- .lowsz- I Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 28,1912. Serial No. 706,318.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919 Twenty parts of sugar such as cane sugar are dissolved in 80 parts of glycerin, and 15 I parts of this niixture are nitrated with 100 parts of a mixed acid of the approximate composition sulfuric acid 62%, nitric acid 38%. When the nitration is complete the solution or mixture of trinitroglycerin and nitrated sugar is separated from the spent acid and stirred until neutral with a' 6% solution of sodium carbonate, in water, at a temperature ofabout 70100 F. I may use instead of the" sodium' carbonate, another alkali such as sodium bicarbonate or hydroxid. The alkali solution is then drawn ofland the nitrated mixture is washed with pure water-at a temperature of 70100 F. The mixture of trinitroglycerin and nitrated su ar is then pure, and ready for use.

Vhile I have described above my method of preparing my new stable explosive, I do not limit myself to the specific proportions,

temperatures, etc., described above. I may use acids of various strengths, either anhydrous, or containing up to several per cent. of water. I may use diflerent proportions of glycerin, sugar and mixed acid, difi'erent alkaline agents, different strengths of alkali solution, anddifl'erent temperatures of treatment. All thesecan be varied, just as they can in the manufacture of nitroglycerin. I.

may also add the sugar and'glycerin sepa rately to the mixed acid, instead of dissolving the sugar in the glycerin beforehand, or the sugar may be in suspension in the glycerin instead of in solution when themixture of the two is added to the mixed acid. In any case the nitrated product is a mixture .or solution. of nitrated sugar in nitro lycerin, which is purified as described-a ve, and which is a stable explosive.

' I claim: I

mixture of a nitrated sugar and trinitroglycerin by nitrating a mixture consisting of sugar and glycerin, and then stabilizing the mixture.

2. The process which comprises forming a mixture of nitrated cane sugar and trinitroglycerin by nitrating a mixture of cane sugar 1. The process which comprises forming a and glycerin, and then stabilizing the mixture.

3. The process which comprises forminga mixture of a nitrated sugar and nitroglycerinby nitrating a mixture consisting of sugar and glycerin,

. and. sulfuric acids,

sugar and glycerin with a mixture of nitric mixture.

4. The process which comprises forming a mixture of nitrated cane sugar and nitroglycerin by nitrating a mixture of cane sugar and glycerin with a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids, and then stabilizing the mixture.

5. The process which comprises forming a mixture of a nitrated sugar and trinitroglycerin by nitrating a mixture consisting of mixture with .a soda solution.

6. The process which comprises forming a mixture of nitrated cane sugar and trinitroglycerin by nitrating a mixture of cane sugar and glycerin,

and then stabilizing the mixture with a soda solution;

7. The process which comprises forming a mixture of a nitrated 'sugar and nitroglycerin by nitrating sugar and glycerm with a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids, and then stabilizing the mixture with a soda solution.

8. The process which comprises forming a mixture of nitrated cane sugar and nitroand then stabilizing the.

and then stabilizing the a mixture consisting of and then stabilizing the mixture.

12. The process which comprises forming a mixture of a nitrated sugar and trinitro glycerin by nitrating a mixture consisting of 80 to 20% sugar and 20 to 80% glycerin and then stabilizing the mixture, by the addition of a soda solution.

' In testimonythat I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand. ARTHUR M. OOMEY. Witnesses:

HENRY W. JONES, MARIE B. J oHNsoN'. 

